Floating chair



Feb. 17, 1942.

y E. l..V ROBERT:

FLOATING CHAIR Filed March l5, 1940 Patented Feb. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOATING CHAIR Edward L. Roberti, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to Roberti Bros., a corporation of California Application March 15, 1940, Serial N o. 324,105

5 Claims.

This invention relates generally to furniture and more particularly to sofas, rocking chairs or the like which embody a seat which is rockable or movable relative to the base or legs which rest on the floor.

Various types of rocking chairs have been developed which embody a fixed base member which rests on the floor and a relatively movable seat member such, for example, as what is known as the platform rocker type wherein the upper portion of the chair rocks on the base portion, snubber springs being employed to resist the rocking action. The disadvantage of such chairs is that the rocking action is relatively stiff and the chairs are only flexible or rockable in one plane forwardly and backwardly.

Other types of chairs have been developed which embody a seat frame which is mounted on Aa torsion spring which in turn is mounted on the base of the chair, thereby permitting a more nexible movement of the chair. It has been found necessary to provide a rather stiff spring to support the Weight the chair must carry and as a result the action has been rather stiff and is greatest in the forward and back plane. It is also true that this construction has been found to be relatively expensive.

Therefore, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved furniture construction wherein a seat element is mounted on a base element for floating movement, that is, the seat element is free to tip or cant in any direction so as to provide a truly floating seat structure. It is also an object to provide what will be termed a floating chair in which the action of the seat member is comparatively soft and yieldable, It is a further object to provide a chair with a floating seat structure in which the action of the seat is soft and flexible compared to previously developed chairs having a movable seat member and yet the action is stiff enough to support a heavy person.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a chair which embodies a oating seat member which is slightly more easily tilted or rocked in a forward and back direction than in any other direction It is a further object to provide a chair of simple and comparatively inexpensive construction having a oating seat member in which all of the parts contributing to the floating action are hidden from view.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved spring mounting for supporting a structure and for permitting up frames.

and down movement thereof. In this connection where it is desired to resiliently support an object for vertical movement by use of helical springs it is the ordinary practice to use vertically disposed springs. It is an object of this invention to provide a spring mounting of unconventional type embodying the use of horizontally disposed springs for supporting an object for vertical movement.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawing and the following description. Referring to the drawing which is for illustrative purposes only;

Fig. l is a side elevation of a chair shown partly in section embodying the construction of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation of one front spring and associated parts.

More particularly describing the invention, reference numeral II generally indicates a chair which may be of any style or construction insofar as the upper portion of the chair is concerned, and which includes a seat frame generally indicated by reference numeral I2. The seat frame includes the depending side rails I3 and the depending front rail I4 and rear rail I5. This frame is covered with upholstery I6 and supports the seat cushion I7.

The chair base I8 includes the forwardly and rearwardly extending legs I9 which are connected by the front cross piece 2E) and the rear cross piece 2I. Mounted on the base and more particularly on the crosspieces 2i) and 2| is what will be termed a fixed base frame 22 which is comprised of the upwardly extending front rail 23, rear rail 24 and side rails 25.

In order to achieve the floating suspension of the chair including the seat and back and chair frame on the base, the seat frame I2 is suspended from the xed base frame 22 by means of suitable substantially horizontally disposed springs 21 at the sides and 21 at the front and rear, these springs extending between the two In order to mount the springs, the rails and the seat frame are each provided with a bracket 28 which are mounted on the respective rails by means of screws 29. Each of the brackets is provided with a suitable number of holes 30 to accommodate one end of the springs. Preferably the brackets are spaced above the lower end of the rails so that the springs are concealed from view. At the upper edge of the fixed base frame 22 there is mounted a metal bracket 32 which is attached to the frame 22 by means of suitable screws 33. This bracket extends outwardly slightly beyond the outer surface of the fixed frame 22 and is provided with a suitable number of holes 34 to accommodate the ends of the springs. In the construction shown, the bracket has only been extended beyond the frame a minimum distance and the outer upward edge of the frame has been beveled at 35 to permit insertion of the ends of the springs in the holes 34. Each of the springs 2l and 21 of which there are three on each side, three at the front and three at the rear, extending between the seat frame and the fixed base frame, are secured in place under a slight tension so that the normal weight of the chair is easily supported without sagging of the springs and the springs are substantially all in the same plane. It is contemplated that any number of springs might be employed on each side and at the front and rear of the chair, depending upon the weight that the chair must carry and the weight of the chair itself.

It is apparent that this construction provides a truly floating seat or chair which is tiltable in any direction. It is contemplated that it is desirable to provide a chair which is slightly more flexible or tiltable in a forward and rearward plane than in any other direction and in order to accomplish this, the springs 2 extending between the front and rear of the seat frame and the fixed base frame, are shown in the drawing as being slightly longer than the springs 2'! at the sides and also as being of smaller gauge. This achieves the desired result and permits a more flexible floating movement of the chair in a forward and rear plane. It is also contemplated however that if it is desired to make the action of the chair slightly softer or more iiexible in a particular plane, as for instance in the forward and rear plane, or normal rocking plane, the number of springs between the front and rear rails and the xed base frame might be decreased and similar results obtained without using different size springs.

Another way of obtaining a more flexible rocking or tilting motion in a given direction, as in a forward and back plane for example, where springs of the same size are used all around, is by adjustment of the position of the side springs. In rocking the chair in a forward and back plane the chair pivots on the center side springs Ela while the other side springs 2lb act as snubbers against the rocking or tilting. ITherefore, by varying the position of the springs Z'ib it is possible to alter the snubbing action. Thus, the springs 21h may be moved farther away from the central springs Zia to achieve a stiffer action or moved closer to achieve a more flexible action.

In the drawing different sized springs have been shown at the front and rear than those at the sides. It is not intended that the invention be so limited since the invention comprises generally the suspension of a seat frame or the like by a plurality of coil springs extending in a substantially horizontal plane without regard to the relative sise or capacity of the individual springs.

Although the invention has been particularlyr shown and described with reference to a chair it is contemplated that the spring construction disclosed can be embodied in sofas and other articles of furniture and that it could also be embodied in any structure having a part adapted to lil accommodate a person either sitting or lying. It is also contemplated that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the invention and it is intended to cover such changes as are within the scope of the claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a floating chair, a chair seat having a seat frame including depending side and front and rear rails; a chair base having leg members and having a fixed base frame including upright side and front and rear rails spaced inwardly from and parallel to the rails of said seat frame; and a plurality of horizontally disposed coil springs mounted on and extending between the rails of said base frame and the rails of said seat frame.

2. In a floating chair, a chair seat having a seat frame including depending side and front and rear rails; a chair base having leg members and having a xed base frame including upright side and front and rear rails spaced inwardly from and parallel to the rails of said seat frame; a bracket mounted on the inner wall of each of the rails of said seat frame; a bracket means mounted on the rails of said base frame; and a plurality of coil springs, each of said springs having one end mounted on a bracket on a rail of said seat frame, and the other end mounted on the bracket means of said base frame, said springs being horizontally disposed and being grouped, each of the springs in a group being substantially parallel to the other springs in the group.

3. In a floating chair, a chair seat having a seat frame including depending side and front and rear rails; a chair base having a fixed frame structure including upright side and front and rear rails spaced inwardly from and parallel to the rails of said seat frame; and a plurality of horizontally disposed coil springs extending between the rails of said base frame and the rails of said seat frame, said springs having their inner ends attached to the upper end portion of the rails of said base frame and having their outer ends attached to the rails of said seat frame spaced upwardly from the lower end of said rails whereby the rails of said seat frame extend below said springs and conceal the same from view.

4. In a floating chair, a chair seat having a seat fra-me including depending side and front Y and rear rails; a chair base having leg members iii and having a xed base frame including upright side and front and rear rails spaced inwardly from and parallel to the rails of said seat frame;

and a plurality of horizontally disposed tension coil springs mounted on and extending between the rails of said base frame and the rails of said seat frame, the springs extending between the front and rear rails of the respective frames being more exible than the other of said springs.

5. In a floating chair, a chair seat having a seat frame including depending side and front and rear rails; a chair base having leg members and having a iixed base frame including upright side and front and rear rails spaced inwardly from and parallel to the rails of said seat frame; and a plurality of horizontally disposed tension coil springs mounted on and extending between the rails of said base frame and the rails of said seat frame, the springs extending between the front and rear rails of the respective frames being longer and of smaller' gauge than the other of said springs.

EDWARD L. ROBERTI 

